ESL Podcasting Project @ ISU

Project Materials

Overview

One stated goal for this project is for all materials used in our ESL academic listening course to be woven together seamlessly; this includes lectures and exercises from the course textbook, audio and video podcasts, and other online assignments. To do this, we will complete unit overviews describing the topic, objectives, materials and sequence of materials in order to help other teachers and researchers envision how this might be done as well as provide a comprehensive overview of the project.

Units 1 and 2

Units 1 and 2 in our course textbook introduce students to transcripts of academic lectures. Through the study of these transcripts, students learn to listen for key words that indicate organization of the lecture, and to use these keywords to begin predicting the content of a lecture. Download the Unit 1 and 2 overview (.doc)

Topic

Objectives

Out-of-class Homework

Introduction to course, podcasts, and WebCT

Introduce students to the materials we are using in class

Quiz over Welcome podcast in WebCT; look at available ESL podcasts online

Unit 3

Unit 3 in our course textbook focuses on the basics of taking notes while listening to an academic lecture. We discuss and practice strategies such as noting key words, using symbols, and visually organizing notes on the page in order to show relationships between ideas. Download the Unit 3 overview (.doc)

Topic

Objectives

Out-of-class Homework

Unit 3: Note-taking Basics

Learn how to choose key words to note

Learn how to judge the relative importance of information

Learn how to visually represent relationships between pieces of information

Read unit 3

Taking notes: In-class Practice

Model both effective and not effective note-taking strategies

Targeted practice of note-taking strategies covered in class

Download notes for podcast from WebCT, or get notes in class; Watch video podcast “Taking notes during a lecture”; complete quiz with the notes you downloaded

Unit 4

The fourth unit in our course textbook focuses on listening to and writing down numbers and statistics. The strategies we focus on during this unit include listening for the stressed syllable to differentiate numbers that sound alike and using background and context knowledge to help determine spoken numbers, and we review the English number system to help in noting large numbers in isolation. At tne end of the unit, we spend time listening to a variety of lectures containing numbers and statistics. Download the Unit 4 overview (.doc)

Topic

Objectives

Out-of-class Homework

Begin Unit 4: Noting Numbers and Statistics

Discuss strategies for differentiating between numbers that sound similar

Discuss relevant vocabulary and concepts for noting years

Targeted practice using exercises from the text

Read unit 4

Noting numbers: In-class practice

Review English number system

Practice listening to, reading and writing down large numbers

Listen to podcast “Grocery store” and complete exercise with the written transcript (download from WebCT or get in class)

Noting numbers and statistics: In-class practice

Practice listening to, reading and writing down large numbers

Discuss noting fractions and decimals

In-class practice

Write short dialogue (and quiz!) including numbers to share with your partner

Noting numbers and statistics in context (listening to academic lectures)

In-class practice listening to and noting numbers and statistics in context

Study for Vocabulary Quiz

Noting numbers and statistics in context (listening to academic lectures)

In-class practice listening to and noting numbers and statistics in context

Unit 5

Unit five in our course textbook centers around the micro-organizational structure of academic lectures. We review some of the lecture cues discussed in unit 2 and students then complete a group project outlining an authentic academic lecture from the University of California at Berkeley. Download the Unit 5 overview (.doc)

Topic

Objectives

Out-of-class Homework

Begin Unit 5: Lecture Organization

Discuss difference between micro- and macro-level organization

Talk about how an Iowa State professor organizes and presents his lecture

Identify lecture cues

Listen to podcast “Interview with a professor on organizing and giving lectures” and take quiz in WebCT; read pg. 52 in book

Bonus unit: Online listening strategies

Because this is the highest-level listening course offered at Iowa State, many students will be continuing their formal listening study independantly and with online materials. We devoted three classes during the course to working specifically with a variety of online listening materials, paying special attention to the use of help options. Download the Online listening strategies unit overview (.doc)